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The Punisher (1989 film)
The Punisher is a 1989 American action film directed by Mark Goldblatt, written by Boaz Yakin, and starring Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr. Based on the Marvel Comics' character of the same name, the film changes many details of the character's comic book origin and the main character does not wear the trademark "skull" shirt. Shot in Sydney, Australia, The Punisher co-stars Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto. Plot Frank Castle is the city's most wanted, and most mysterious vigilante, known as "The Punisher". He has killed 125 criminals in the past five years. An ex-police officer, Castle's family was murdered in a mob hit, in which Castle was also thought to have perished. This, combined with Castle's furtive methods of attack, has made the Punisher's identity a mystery to the general public. Living in the sewers and waging a one-man war against organized crime, his only friend is an old alcoholic named Shake, a former stage actor who speaks in rhyme for reasons unexplained. Now legally declared dead, Castle strikes back from beyond the grave, killing mobsters wherever he can find them. Due to his war against them, the Mafia families have weakened, forcing one of the family leaders, Gianni Franco, to come out of retirement. Franco has a plan to unify the families. This, however, has attracted the attention of the Yakuza, Asia's most powerful crime syndicate. Led by Lady Tanaka, the Yakuza decide to take over the Mafia families and all of their interests. In order to sway the mobsters to their cause, they kidnap their children and hold them for ransom. Shake pleads with the Punisher to save the children, who are likely to be sold into the Arab slave trade regardless of whether the Mafia give into the demands. The Punisher attacks Yakuza businesses, warning that for every day the children are held in captivity, he will inflict heavy costs on them in property damage. The Yakuza later capture the Punisher and Shake and attempt to torture them into submission, but the Punisher breaks free and decides the only course of action is a direct rescue. He is able to save most of the children with a .45 Thompson M1928 submachine gun against the Yakuza guards and commandeers a bus to get the kidnapped children to safety. However prior to this Tommy Franco, the son of Gianni Franco, had been taken away to Yakuza headquarters. When driving the busload of kids, the Punisher runs into a police roadblock and is arrested. While in custody Castle is reunited with one of his old partners, who warns his multiple killings will likely get him executed, however at a later point Castle is broken out of jail by Franco's men. Franco admits he brought this on himself as the hit on Castle's family was an error, and persuades the Punisher to help him save his son. Castle agrees to work with his old enemy for the sake of stopping the Japanese criminal underworld from taking root in America. Franco and the Punisher raid the Yakuza headquarters, fight and kill all the Yakuza, including Lady Tanaka and her daughter. Upon being reunited with his son, Franco betrays the Punisher, but Castle defends himself and kills Franco. Franco's son then threatens the Punisher for killing his father, but cannot bring himself to hurt him. Castle warns Franco's son to "stay a good boy, and grow up to be a good man", not following his father's misdeeds. He also warns he will return should the boy commit any crimes, then disappears. The police arrive, only to find no trace of the Punisher. Meanwhile, at his lair, Castle lets the audience know that he will be waiting in the shadows, serving his own brand of justice. Cast * Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle / The Punisher * Louis Gossett Jr. as Jake Berkowitz * Jeroen Krabbé as Gianni Franco * Kim Miyori as Lady Tanaka * Bryan Marshall as Dino Moretti * Nancy Everhard as Sam Leary * Barry Otto as Shake * Brian Rooney as Tommy Franco * Zoshka Mizak as Tanaka's daughter * Larry McCormick as TV newsreader * Kenji Yamaki as Sato * Todd Boyce as Terrone * Hirofumi Kanayama as Tomio * Lani John Tupu as Laccone * Giancarlo Negroponte as Musso * May Lloyd as Julie Castle * Brooke Anderson as Annie Castle * Holly Rogers as Felice Castle Gallery Trivia Category:The Punisher Films Category:Marvel Category:1989